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It may come as a shock to you many of you given my well deserved reputation as a stodgy conservative, but I have a strong interest in the history of the US porn industy, and the "golden age" or "film age" in particular. (circa 1972 to about 1984 or from the release of "Deep Throat" to about the time the last major feature length movies shot on film were made)
This lady was always a favaorite of mine and from a historical standpoint she is a major figure in the early days of that industry. I'm sad, and suprised, to see her go.

Folks, let's try our best to keep this thread clean so it does not get shut down. If you are not mature enough to comment on it, please stay out.

TR

A bit of a shame, really. O the one hand, so young. On the other hand, NOT so young for the biz.

And in a very direct way, this woman probably did more for womens lib than any number of bootfaced Diesel Dykes ever did.

Legitimising the porn industry vastly reduced the number of girls being exploited, and most female porn stars go on to direct their own movies, and it's them making most of the money.

Haven't seen her films, but nuff respek to the girly!

Man, she was the first woman I ever saw who I felt was simultaneously beautiful and sexy. She was entirely too young. She was so hot.

And in a very direct way, this woman probably did more for womens lib than any number of bootfaced Diesel Dykes ever did.

I don't think I would go that far, Doc. People tend to lend far to much social/political impact and importance to the smut industry. For example I really enjoyed the documentary "Inside Deep Throat" which told the story of that film's creation and recounted the legal troubles the people involved in it's creation in the years after it's release. it was informative and entertaining. But I think the documentary went too far in hailing "Deep Throat" as some sort of amazingly important moment in the fight for freedom of speech.

Likewise, while it's undeniable that Maryilyn is/was an important figure in the history of that industry and I suppose to a lesser extent the pop culture of the '70s and '80s, i don't think she is an important figure in the history of the Women's Rights movement.

and most female porn stars go on to direct their own movies, and it's them making most of the money.

Once again, that's an exageration. Only a minority of female talent go on to direct. Most make a few films and disapear. But Marilyn certainly was one that did. She was coining money before that. She was probably the first actress in that industry that was savvy enough to demand (and get) residuals. She made quite a chunk of change when she convinced the Mitchell Brothers to give her a percentage of the take of "Behind the Green Door".

Haven't seen her films, but nuff respek to the girly!

*TR glances at his DVD shelf*
Well, that's a claim I can't honestly make.

TR

Fair enough. But even though her actions may not have gone much further than 'hey, thats good money!' the mainstreaming of a previously seedy industry, especially one which the more militant feminists didn't like, was almost the pinnacle of Wimmins Lib.

She did what she wanted to, and not what she was told to. Sadly, from my history lessons (wasn't there for it!) it seems many of the more, erm, staunch, wimmins libbers lost sight of that!

It's not many people who leave behind such a legacy as her. So, what should the mount Rushmore of porn stars be carved into? I'm saying the world's largest pile of chewed-up bubblegum.

Cronenberg's "Rabid" was a guilty pleasure. Chambers suprised me.

Chambers surprised a *LOT* of people.

All in all, I'm glad she did what she did to normalize American sexuality.

Damn. Rabid is a great movie! (Although the armpit thing was a little leftfield) I never even twigged that it was Marilyn Chambers tho... Guess i should have been typing more 'x's into search engines these past 15 years